This application is based on Japanese Patent Applications No. 2001-189421 filed in Japan on Jun. 22, 2001, and No. 2001-218610 filed in Japan on Jul. 18, 2001, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shoplifting monitoring apparatus for preventing or deterring an article (monitoring target article) or goods from being shoplifted.
The present invention also relates to an attachment unit that is utilized in the shoplifting monitoring apparatus and to be attached to the monitoring target article.
2. Description of Related Art
A wide variety of shoplifting monitoring apparatus have been proposed for preventing or deterring an article (goods), e.g., on display in a shop, from being shoplifted.
For example, such a shoplifting monitoring apparatus has been proposed with which shoplifting of the article is detected in the following manner, and an alarm is issued when shoplifting of the article is detected.
For example, such an attachment unit described below is to be attached to the article. The attachment unit has a detection element for detecting whether the attachment unit is attached to the article or not. In accordance with an attached state of the attachment unit to the article detected by the detection element, the alarm is issued. The attachment unit is to be attached to the article with, e.g., a double-sided adhesive tape. As the detection element, employed is, e.g., a switch having a contact that opens or closes in accordance with the attached state of the attachment unit to the article.
If the attachment unit is attached to the article with the double-sided adhesive tape, however, such a problem may arise in some cases. For example, it is difficult to attach the attachment unit to the article with the double-sided adhesive tape in some cases, which depends on a surface condition of the article. The double-sided adhesive tape make the article dirty in some cases. If the attachment unit is attached to and removed from the article in a number of times, the adhesion force of the double-sided adhesive tape would lower, the attachment unit therefore cannot be attached to the article at last in some cases. If the attachment unit is attached to the article for a long time, the adhesion force of the double-sided tape would lower, the attachment unit is therefore removed or separated from the article in some cases.
It is an object of the invention to provide a shoplifting monitoring apparatus in which an attachment unit is to be attached to the monitoring target article, and an alarm is issued in accordance with the attached state of the attachment unit to the article, and more particularly to provide the shoplifting monitoring apparatus in which the attachment unit can be attached to the monitoring target article easily and precisely.
It is another object of the invention to provide an attachment unit which is utilized in the shoplifting monitoring apparatus, and can be attached to the monitoring target article easily and precisely.
(1) Shoplifting Monitoring Apparatus
The invention provides a shoplifting monitoring apparatus comprising:
an attachment unit having an attachment surface to be attached to an article, the attachment unit including a detection element for detecting whether the attachment unit is attached to the article or not; and
an alarm device issuing an alarm based on information indicating that the attachment unit is not attached to the article, the information being detected by the detection element; wherein
the attachment unit is provided at the attachment surface with a first portion screw-fittable onto a screw of the article; and
the attachment unit can be attached to the article by screw-fitting the first portion of the attachment unit onto the screw of the article.
(2) Attachment Unit
The invention also provides an attachment unit utilized in a shoplifting monitoring apparatus and having an attachment surface to be attached to an article, the attachment unit comprising:
a detection element for detecting whether the attachment unit is attached to the article or not; and
a first portion screw-fittable onto a screw of the article and arranged at the attachment surface; wherein
the attachment unit can be attached to the article by screw-fitting the first portion of the attachment unit onto the screw of the article.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.